In order to respond to competitive pressures and to meet the escalating expectations of customers, manufacturers of consumer electronics devices regularly incorporate new features into their products. These new features, which are often the result of advances in circuit miniaturization, energy efficiency, and data and power storage capacities, have led to a steady stream of lightweight, compact, and feature-rich electronics devices that are both easier and more convenient to use than predecessor devices. This trend is evident in a variety of areas: wireless communications (e.g., wireless handsets, etc.), audio equipment (e.g., compact disc players, MP3 players, and digital radio devices, etc.), photography (e.g., digital cameras, etc.), personal digital assistants (PDA's), and even the ubiquitous remote control device.
A common feature or characteristic of electronics devices—especially consumer electronics—is a “man-machine” or “user” interface. The user interface enables the user to interact with the devices by supplying (e.g., keyboard, microphone, etc.) and receiving (e.g., display, speaker, etc.) information. The user interface for an electrical/electronic device is often unique to that device; other devices will have different user interfaces. Even when devices of the same type or category are designed by the same manufacturer, the design, the size, the use, and the look and feel of the user interface can vary significantly from one model to the next. And the result is a cost penalty, since the circuitry, software and packaging of the user interface are generally integral parts of the electronic device and therefore must be developed anew for each product.